He’d never had this much fun at the festival. Usually, he’d done the lumberjack competition and left.
They didn’t talk much on the way home. He helped Avery get his mom in the door. By the time he fed his dogs and bedded them down for the night, she had his mom changed and on the couch.
“I have a treatment tomorrow in Pittsburgh.” Her voice sounded scratchy, maybe from the cold air.
Avery propped pillows behind her as she spoke.
“Gator is taking you to it?”
“Yes.”
Gator stopped in the doorway, unnoticed, as his mother grabbed Avery’s wrist.
“Did you ask him about what I said earlier?”
Avery patted his mother’s hand and shook her head.
Gator almost interrupted them to ask what she had said earlier, but he held himself still.
“If he brings it up, I’ll say something, but it’s not something that interests him.”
“Honey, you interest him.”
An automatic denial sprang to his lips, but he swallowed it and stood still. His mother was right. Avery did interest him. She attracted him. She amused him. She pulled him out of his little bubble and helped him see the world with new eyes. Maybe that was why opposites attracted.
His mother reached a hand up and patted Avery’s cheek. “You do.”
“I don’t know about that. But he’s quite interesting too.”
Gator’s chest expanded. He’d take interesting.
“He needs a good woman in his life.”
“You’re not going anywhere, so no hinting about that.”
Gator was surprised that she felt comfortable enough with his mother to be so blunt. His mother wasn’t a beat around the bush type of lady and Avery had her figured out.
“Oh, I wasn’t hinting anything of the kind. Plus, I wasn’t suggesting you take my place as his mother.”
Avery tucked her feet in. “Yeah, he’s a little big to be sitting on my lap.”
“Mine too,” his mother said with a wry grin. “He’s a good man.”
“Mom, I’m standing right here. Would you please stop?”
“Didn’t hear you, son.”
“That would be the first time in my life you didn’t hear me walk in the house without taking my boots off.”
His mother closed her eyes and raised her brows.
A look he was familiar with from childhood. “That look does not make you look innocent.”
“I actually thought it did,” Avery said.
“After you’ve been around her for a while, it doesn’t fool you anymore.”
“Hey, people. I’m right here.” His mother waved a hand without opening her eyes.
Before he could say anything, there was a knock at the door. He let the home nurse in, and after chatting for a few minutes, Avery and he left.
All the close spots were taken when they got back to the town square, and he ended up parking along the road about a half mile away.
“I hope you don’t mind walking a while,” he said as he reached for the door handle.
“I don’t think we have a choice. I would have guessed that things would have thinned out by now.” Avery got out. He met her at the front of the truck and they started walking.
“Maybe at other places, Christmas festivals die down after dark, but here the bonfire is the most popular activity. I hadn’t heard anything this year, but in years past, they often have fireworks too.”
“I love fireworks!” Avery said. “But I just can’t believe people are out in this cold.” Since the sun went down, the temperature must have dropped twenty degrees. She folded her arms over her chest and shivered.
Gator didn’t question his instinct. He slid his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. She tucked very nicely right under his arm. It was a new feeling and he liked it. “I don’t think you ever warmed up from being on that plank.”
“You got wet and I didn’t, but I think you’re right. I’ll welcome hot chocolate.”
He relaxed. She was actually going to allow him to walk with his arm around her. And not only that, but she nestled in closer. It was a good feeling.
Her sweet and sassy scent drifted to his nose and he pulled her in tighter. “I’ll have to make sure you get some.”
“You don’t owe me anything.”
Her hip brushed his thigh. Feeling that sweet caress for the rest of their walk might be the definition of torture, but he didn’t move away. Although, he did try to focus his mind. He couldn’t deny the heat that raced through his body, but Avery was a beautiful person on the inside and he enjoyed talking to her.
“I do owe you. I’ve been meaning to thank you for what you’ve been doing for my mom.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I believe she’s a friend. I know she’s older than me, but I’ve never chosen my friends based on their age. It’s more about how connected I feel. I just really feel at ease around her. I like her. And I enjoy helping her.”
“I’ll still get you a hot chocolate.”
She chuckled. “I guess I’ll let you.”
He took a deep breath, not entirely sure he was not making a huge mistake, but he couldn’t get her words from earlier about his shirt out of his mind. “What are you doing next Friday?”
“I have that audition I told you about in Washington D.C.”
He’d forgotten. “There’s supposed to be a snow storm next week.”
“The weather never does what it’s supposed to do. If the weather people say it’s going to snow, I’m placing bets on it being seventy-five and sunny.”
“You’re one of those people who wouldn’t evacuate for a hurricane. I wouldn’t have guessed it by looking at you.”
Her shoulders drooped a little. “I suppose I am kind of stubborn.”
“Kind of?”
“A little?”
“The barn is still standing, Avery. And that is solely because of you and your determination to keep it up, even though there are a hundred other places more suitable for a Christmas party around here.”
She took a breath like she was going to say something, but she exhaled and stayed silent.
They passed the first streetlight. A few clusters of people, mostly teens, laughed and talked as they walked by.
“All the booths will be closed except for the ones in the square, probably.”
“I would have loved to see the crafts.”
“Maybe next year you can have your own booth.”
“I’m not very good at making stuff. I’m better at decorating.”
“I see.” He was good at making stuff. It was an example of how their differences complimented each other. Maybe, when he looked at Kristen and saw all their similarities, he hadn’t realized how being the same might get boring. Or worse, how it fostered competition between them. Mostly on her end, though, to be honest. He wasn’t a real competitive guy, but she hated it when he won or was right.
“Are you getting warmer?” he asked. Not because he wanted to let her go, but more because he didn’t want her sweating to death beside him. He also figured it would give her the opportunity to get rid of his arm without having to say she didn’t want it.
“I am.”
His heart fell a little.
“I must have left my gloves at your house, though.” She held up her bare hand.
He looked at it, then at her face. Her mouth curved in a small smile. Her eyes held a question.
Without breaking their gaze, he slid his hand up her wrist. Their palms brushed against each other with a sizzle before his fingers slipped between hers. They stood like that for a moment, hands pressed against each other, eyes meeting. Gator’s heart pumped hard and heavy in his chest.
Little fogs of breath puffed out of Avery’s mouth and swirled between them. Her eyes darkened and her lips trembled. Gator brought his other hand up and slid it along her cheek, touching the corner of her mouth with his thumb.
The snow began falling more earnestly. From somewher
e far away, bells chimed and Christmas music floated on the air.
“I’ll keep it warm,” he said, surprised that he had a voice at all, even if it was low and gravelly and sounded like he’d just woken up.
She bent her fingers over his hand and looked at their entwined digits. “I trust you to do that.” She said it slowly, with wonder in her voice.
He got the feeling trust wasn’t something easy for her to say or admit.
“What happened that trust is so hard for you?”
She looked away and their hands dropped between.
Gator kicked himself for breaking the spell that had them cocooned in their own world. He should have known that anything that had destroyed her trust in people would be a sore subject. It’s just that he wanted to know everything about her. He wanted to protect her from those hurts. He wanted… He closed his eyes against all the impossible things he wanted. He didn’t know everything, but he’d learned in the last ten years that life wasn’t about getting what he wanted.
“That bad?” he prompted when she still didn’t answer. He tugged on her hand. Maybe it would be easier for her to tell him if they were walking.
She fell in easily beside him, as she always did. He enjoyed it. “No,” she said slowly. “It’s not that I’ve been treated so horribly, I guess. But,” her hand tightened in his, “my dad left my mom for another woman. My fiancé left me for someone else.” She threw up her other hand. “The woman was a flutist. Seriously? A flutist!” She laughed and he joined in.
“Right. Note to self—don’t date flutists.”
“Seriously. I’ve seen it over and over, and I’ve experienced it twice. Men don’t stick around. Most men.” She bumped his arm with her shoulder. “I already know you’re not staying.”
“I didn’t leave Kristen.” He felt like he needed to defend himself.
“I know,” she said softly.
But he couldn’t suspend reality. “I do have a job in Montana that I have to go back to eventually.”
“I know.”
“Have you ever thought about living anywhere but here, in the East?” he asked casually.
“I have a job offer in Washington D.C.”
“But you haven’t accepted it yet?”
“I’m going to.”
“I see.” He leaned his head back and watched the flakes of snow swirl down. What was he doing? Following up on an attraction he’d never felt before, which felt too strong to ignore, and chasing a woman who planned to live a continent away from him. He looked back down. The top of her red beanie hat was white with snow. “Well, we can have a good time tonight, can’t we?”
“I’m planning on it.”
“Great. Let me get you that hot chocolate.”
They dove into the outskirts of the milling crowd, many of whom carried plates loaded with hotdogs and roasted marshmallows, Christmas cookies, and gingerbread men. At the perimeter of the fire, folks roasted their food over the open flames. Long lines curled like tree ribbons at all three hot chocolate vendors.
Gator noticed a few raised eyebrows when they saw the woman at his side and their entwined hands. There were a few smiles, but more dropped jaws, which made him grin. He wasn’t the only person in the world who thought Avery and he were complete opposites.
They walked by the long line of tables laden with the entries of the gingerbread house competition and several areas where children had made decorations and iced cookies.
“I’d like to check out the farm booth, if you don’t mind,” Avery said.
He adjusted his steps and headed toward where Jillian stood behind the counter of a booth in the center of everything.
“I have flyers there for the Christmas party. And I should make sure she doesn’t need anything.”
“That’s fine. I’ll get us a couple cups of hot chocolate and come back around.”
Her hand slipped out of his. He let go reluctantly and watched her walk away with a bemused smile on his face. A tiny little powerhouse full of kindness and creativity, Avery had surprised him in a lot of different ways since he first saw her at the top of the light pole.
He turned and headed toward the hot chocolate vendor with the shortest line. If he was only getting tonight with her, he was going to make it count as much as possible.
He got a drink for Jillian too and had just paid when McKoy Rodning walked up. “Gator, where you been? You missed the announcement of the tree trimming winners.”
Gator couldn’t believe he’d forgotten about that. “I took my mom home. Getting out like this wore her out.”
“Oh, yeah. I heard about her cancer. How’s she doing?” McKoy took one of the cups of chocolate and walked alongside of Gator.
“Good. Tired. It’s hard, but she’s got a great sense of humor and she’s always been happy.”
“Yeah. She’s the type of person it’s hard to keep down.”
Gator nodded. His mother had always been a positive, happy person. He’d been blessed to have her. It was easy to see that now.
“So, Gator, we’ve known each other a long time…” McKoy started.
Gator immediately tensed. “Yeah?”
“Your ex beat you in the lumberjack competition.”
Gator snorted and relaxed. “Yeah.”
McKoy waved the cup as he searched for words. “And you’re not upset about that?”
“Not really.”
“Okay. That would be one thing. You came in third by the way. I beat the ex for you. You can throw cash later. Anyway,” he continued with a grin, “you didn’t win the lumberjack competition, which you always win, and correct me if I’m wrong, but you won the tree decorating contest?” He said “tree decorating contest” the way he might have said “pig guts eating contest.”
Gator couldn’t keep the triumphant smile off his face. “We won? That’s great!”
McKoy looked at him with one raised brow. “Did she mess you up that bad?”
“Avery? No way, man.”
“I meant Kristen. Who’s Avery?” McKoy stopped walking and faced Gator.
“Kristen didn’t mess me up. Not really.”
“She left you, dude.”
Gator pressed his lips together and stared at his friend. “Seriously?”
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to rub it in, but come on. You and Kristen were perfect. I mean, she was into everything you were, man. And now, you lose the lumberjack for the first time in my life, and you win some decorating contest? And, no offense, but the people around town are saying that little blond chick you have on your arm isn’t all together there, if you know what I mean.” McKoy pointed to his head and made circle motions.
Gator’s forehead thumped and his fingers tightened on the hot chocolate cup.
He loosened his fingers deliberately. “Since when does nice equal crazy?”
“I don’t know about nice, but she hangs out with that circus performer. People have seen them doing really weird stuff, like swallowing swords, hanging from their hair, and walking ridgelines. She has some kind of massive instrument that she plays incessantly, and she never goes anywhere without a cat strapped to her like a baby.”
Gator reminded himself that all those things were probably true. “You’ve actually missed a few things.” He’d seen her climb a light pole, and what kind of crazy person hung out with an old lady who had cancer? For fun. And decorated the woman’s house and yard.
“So you know what I mean? And she’s always wearing weird clothes.”
“Gator.” Kristen pushed between them. “Congratulations, McKoy. You two must be talking about that blond you’ve been hanging out with, Gator. It’s the weird clothes comment that gave it away.”
“Her name’s Avery.” He wanted to add an insult about Kristen’s clothing choices, but his mother had always told him to take the high road. Plus, as much as he’d like to defend Avery, he didn’t think it would make her happy to have him insulting people for her.
Kristen ignored him. “McKoy, did Gator tell you
about the huge game preserve that I bought out in Oregon? He’s coming out to run it and lead hunting parties for me.”
Gator opened his mouth to argue, but a gasp made him look to his left. Avery stood about three feet away. She’d stopped in mid-stride and her hand was over her mouth, the other on her stomach.
Gator’s stomach sank like a lead ball in a bucket of water.
Chapter Twelve
Avery didn’t really believe that Gator cared about her choice of clothes. And the first time he’d seen her, she’d been up that light pole. He acted like he liked Miss Prissypants too. So, even though she and Jillian could hear the whole thing from where they stood at the farm’s booth just feet away, she hadn’t really been bothered much.
However, for some reason, the announcement that Gator was going to work for Kristen… Well, it was more that Gator hadn’t told her that he was going to work for Kristen. He’d just described his job out west and said that he was going to back to it and had also mentioned that Kristen had offered him a job. But he hadn’t answered her when she asked if he was going to take it. Guess she knew the answer now.
“Avery.” Gator’s cheeks flushed a guilty red around his natural dark skin and tan.
“Why, Avery. We didn’t see you standing there.” Kristen pulled her lips in, like she was trying to contain a smirk.
“I assumed that was my hot chocolate? It’s getting cold.” Avery held out her hand with a smile that she hoped said there were no hard feelings. None at all. Since she and Gator were not a couple or in a relationship, there couldn’t be. She had no rights.
“Yeah.” Gator gave a little cough. “This is McKoy Rodning. He won the lumberjack competition.”
“Nice to meet you.” Avery held her hand out, wishing she’d put gloves on instead of being stupid and thinking that Gator might hold her hand again.
He shook her hand. “Here,” McKoy said to Gator. “This is yours.”
“Thanks,” Avery held her hand out. “It’s actually Jillian’s. Don’t let me interrupt you. Jillian can use help at the stand.”
“We were done.” Gator dipped his head at the other two in a farewell, and moved to Avery’s side with his back to them.
Just Right Page 13